Combined tubular leg and quick attachment means



G. w. LUHRS 3,131,899 COMBINED TUBULAR LEG AND QUICK ATTACHMENT MEANS May 5, 1964 Filed March 28, 1962 FIG.

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INVENTOR. GHLBERTW United States Patent 3,131,899 COMBINED TUBULAR LEG AND QUICK ATTACHMENT MEANS Gilbert W. Luhrs, Kankakee, EL, assignor to Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 133,147 3 Clm'ms. (Cl. 248188) This invention relates to a combined tubular table leg and quick attachment means therefor.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a combined tubular leg and attachment means whereby the tubular leg may be easily and quickly attached to a table top or the like without the use of tools.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a leg and attachment means of the foregoing character which permits ready separation of the legs from a table top for storage and/ or transport purposes.

Another object of my invention is the provision of bracket means in combination with a tubular leg which are simple in construction, efficient in operation and economical to manufacture.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description when the same is considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combined bracket and portion of a leg looking at the same in an upwardly direction.

FIG. 2 is a similar view but showing the leg portion in separated relation from the bracket.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the bracket and leg portion combination illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of FIG. 3.

PEG. 6 is a side elevational view of the bracket of my invention and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the device of my invention includes a bracket, indicated generally by the numeral 10, and a tubular leg, indicated generally by the numeral 11.

The bracket 10 is formed, as by stamping, of sheet metal and includes a generally cylindrical body portion 12 having opposed lateral flanges 13 and 14 integral with the body portion. Each flange is provided with a plurality of perforations 16 to receive screws or bolts for attaching the bracket to the underside of a table top.

The body portion 12 comprises a pair of opposed sections 17 and 18 generally arcuate in cross-section, each such section being integrally connected at its lower end to a bridging portion 19 which is generally circular in plan. As will be clearly seen by reference to the drawings, the sections 17 and 18 are in diametrically opposed relation to each other, there being diametrically opposed slots 21 and 22 between the sections. Extending in a circumferential direction from diametrically opposed edges of each of the sections 17 and 18 are depressed or reversely embossed areas 23 and 24 respectively. Each of said areas 23 and 24 is rather clearly defined, there being shoulders 25 and 26 respectively formed for a purpose as will be hereinafter explained. Referring particularly to FIGS. 3 and 7, it will be clearly apparent that the depressed areas 23 and 24 are diametrically opposed to each other. The upper marginal portions 27 and 28 of the sections 17 and 18 respectively flare outwardly and provide arcuate shoulders 29 along the lines of juncture between the flared and cylindrical portions.

The leg 11 is tubular and may be of any desired length. At diametrically opposed points and spaced from the upper end of the leg are a pair of inwardly directed tangs 31 and 32 which are struck out from the tubular wall. The width of each tang 31 and 32 is slightly less than the width of the lower portion of each of the slots 21 and 22 in the body portion 12 so that clearance is provided for the passage of the tangs longitudinally of the slots when the leg 11 is assembled with the bracket 10, as will be hereinafter explained. Each tang is arcuate in cross-section and concentric to the curvature of the shoulders 25 and 26.

The bracket 10, as was previously indicated, is attached to the underside of a table top as by screws or bolts with the body portion 12 in depending relation. The leg 11 is applied to the bracket 10 by alining the tangs 31 and 32 with respective slots 21 and 22 and sliding the leg in telescoping relation to the bracket until the top edge of the leg 11 engages against the shoulder 29 which constitutes an abutment for the leg. At this point the lower edge of each of the tangs 31 and 32 is in alinement with respective shoulders 25 and 26 as seen clearly in FIG. 5. The leg 11 then is rotated relative to the bracket 10 until the leading edge of each of the tangs abuts against the vertical edge of a respective depression 23 and 24 at which point the leg 11 is securely locked to the bracket 10. It will be understood that the fit between the body portion 12 of the bracket and the leg 11 is quite snug, so that when the parts are interlocked there is no free play between the parts with the result that the leg is rigid with respect to the bracket.

The leg 11 may be easily removed from the bracket 10 by reversely rotating the leg so as to aline the tangs 31 and 32 with the slots 21 and 22 and then drawing the leg outwardly away from the body portion 12.

It will be noted that each struckout tang 31 and 32 is arcuate in cross-section, the curvature thereof being concentric with the curvature of shoulders 25 and 26 so that there is full contact for the entire width of the tang. Additionally, as seen clearly in FIG. 5, each of the tangs has a relatively sharp edge which tends to bite into the bracket at the shoulders 25 and 26 so as to afford a positive interlocking of the parts.

It will be seen that if bracing members were to be employed to brace the legs hereinabove described in relation to a table top, the final positioning of the legs when interlocked with the brackets would always be the same so that proper alinement of the cooperating apertures to receive suitable bolts or other fastening means is always assured.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination,

(a) a bracket arranged for removable attachment to a tubular leg,

(b) said bracket being formed of a length of flat material and including a generally cylindrically body portion having laterally extending flanges for attachment to a table top,

(0) said body portion having a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally extending slots co-extensive with the length of said body portion and dividing said body portion into two opposed sections,

(d) a recess formed in the surface of each section with each recess extending circumferentially from one edge thereof to a point substantially medially of the width of the section,

(e) each recess communicating with a respective slot and being in diametrically opposed relation to the other recess,

(1) the lower edge of each recess constituting a circumferentially extending shoulder spaced from the lower edge of the body portion and in a plane substantially parallel thereto,

,( g) a tubular leg,

(h) said tubular leg having a pair of diametrically opposed tangs struck out of the wall thereof and extending inwardly of the leg,

(1') said body portion being telescopingly received in the end of said tubular leg with the tangs passing longitudinally through respective slots to a point where said tangs are in registration with respective recesses, t

(j) the leg being rotatable relative to said bracket so i as to move the tangs within respective recesses,

(k) said tangs engaging respective shoulders when said leg is assembled with said body portion to secure said leg to said bracket.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which each of the tangs is arcuate and concentric with a respective shoulder to afford substantially full engagement therewith.

3. In combination,

(a) abracket arranged for removable attachment to a tubular leg,

(b) said bracket being formed of a length of fiat material and including a generally cylindrically body portion having laterally extending flanges for attachment to a table top,

() said body portion having apairof diametrically opposed longitudinally extending slots co-extensive with the length of said body portion and dividing said body portion into two opposed sections,

lower edge of the body portion and in a plane substantially parallel thereto,

(g) a tubular leg,

(h) said tubular leg having a pair of diametrically opposed tangs struck out of the wall thereof and extending inwardly of the leg,

(i) said body portion being telescopingly received in the end of said tubular leg With the tangs passing longitudinally through respective slots to a point where said tangs are in registration with respective recesses,

(j) the leg being rotatable relative to said bracket so as to move the tangs within respective recesses,

(k) said tangs engaging respective shoulders when said leg is assembled with said body portion to-secure said leg to said bracket,

(l) and an annular shoulder formed on said body portion against which the upper end of said leg abuts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 951,506 Meyer Mar. 8,1910 1,374,995 Faik Apr. 19, 1921 r 1,408,284 Galloway Feb. 28, 1922 1,756,777 Wright Apr. 29, 1930 1,842,076 Dillhoefer Jan. 19, 1932 2,529,219 Kost Nov. 7, 1950 2,532,902 Greenway Dec. 5, 1950 2,973,982 Elting et al. Mar. 7, 1961 

1. IN COMBINATION, (A) A BRACKET ARRANGED FOR REMOVABLE ATTACHMENT TO A TUBULAR LEG, (B) SAID BRACKET BEING FORMED OF A LENGTH OF FLAT MATERIAL AND INCLUDING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICALLY BODY PORTION HAVING LATERALLY EXTENDING FLANGES FOR ATTACHMENT TO A TABLE TOP, (C) SAID BODY PORTION HAVING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOTS CO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE LENGTH OF SAID BODY PORTION AND DIVIDING SAID BODY PORTION INTO TWO OPPOSED SECTIONS, (D) A RECESS FORMED IN THE SURFACE OF EACH SECTION WITH EACH RECESS EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY FROM ONE EDGE THEREOF TO A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY MEDIALLY OF THE WIDTH OF THE SECTION, (E) EACH RECESS COMMUNICATING WITH A RESPECTIVE SLOT AND BEING IN DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED RELATION TO THE OTHER RECESS, (F) THE LOWER EDGE OF EACH RECESS CONSTITUTING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SHOULDER SPACED FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF THE BODY PORTION AND IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THERETO, (G) A TUBULAR LEG, (H) SAID TUBULAR LEG HAVING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TANGS STRUCK OUT OF THE WALL THEREOF AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF THE LEG, (I) SAID BODY PORTION BEING TELESCOPINGLY RECEIVED IN THE END OF SAID TUBULAR LEG WITH THE TANGS PASSING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH RESPECTIVE SLOTS TO A POINT WHERE SAID TANGS ARE IN REGISTRATION WITH RESPECTIVE RECESSES, (F) THE LEG BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID BRACKET SO AS TO MOVE THE TANGS WITHIN RESPECTIVE RECESSES, (K) SAID TANGS ENGAGING RESPECTIVE SHOULDERS WHEN SAID LEG IS ASSEMBLED WITH SAID BODY PORTION TO SECURE SAID LEG TO SAID BRACKET. 